Trader Joe's

Trader Joe is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores that began in Pasadena, California and are now peppered across the United States. The first store, then called Pronto Markets, opened in 1958. In 1967 as the business expanded, founder Joe Coulombe changed the name to Trader Joe’s and began the trademark Hawaiian themed decor, complete with staff all wearing Hawaiian shirts. The stores specialize in private label food and grocery items, many of them certified organic and sustainable. Foods are labeled in whimsical accordance to the ethnicity of the products, i.e. “Trader Giotto’s” for Italian, “Trader José’s” for Mexican, “Trader Ming’s” for Chinese, etc. This direct supply method allows them to pass savings onto customers by keeping costs low. If an item doesn’t sell well, it is (often to the consternation of some customers) discontinued. A maritime bell is used as a means of communication (one bell = assistance Read more »

Trader Joe is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores that began in Pasadena, California and are now peppered across the United States. The first store, then called Pronto Markets, opened in 1958. In 1967 as the business expanded, founder Joe Coulombe changed the name to Trader Joe’s and began the trademark Hawaiian themed decor, complete with staff all wearing Hawaiian shirts. The stores specialize in private label food and grocery items, many of them certified organic and sustainable. Foods are labeled in whimsical accordance to the ethnicity of the products, i.e. “Trader Giotto’s” for Italian, “Trader José’s” for Mexican, “Trader Ming’s” for Chinese, etc. This direct supply method allows them to pass savings onto customers by keeping costs low. If an item doesn’t sell well, it is (often to the consternation of some customers) discontinued. A maritime bell is used as a means of communication (one bell = assistance at the register, two bells = a general call for assistance, three bells = call for any manager to assist a customer) between staffers, who are trained in providing top-notch customer service and engaging in conversation in the check-out line.

Many of the stores feature their own wine shops, which are a mix of private label and standard brands specializing in California and New World wines. One of the most successful wines to be sold at Trader Joe’s is Charles Shaw, the price of which starts at $1.99, famously known as “Two Buck Chuck.”

Hot, but rich jammy nose. Extremely tasty, incredibly fruity, powerful wine. A touch of licorice and earth. Overall a fantastic wine for the money - i paid $10 and its as good as any $18 wine, and as good as many $24 wines.

I was really impressed by this wine! It has a very 'clean' flavor that seems to focus on the fruit (blueberries, raspberries) without any distractors. And a nice finish. A great food wine, esp. at the price ($10).

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Trader Joe's Winery

Hi everybody I'm a small store owner at the edge of the rust belt, my customers rarely spend over $20 for a bottle, and I am looking to improve my selection a bit beyond what is here now. If you have a minute to help a guy out let me know what you think are the best wines that usually sell for $20 or less. Thanks !
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Hard to say what it exactly is, but we've all had moments when wines were really open and "singing" maybe after a quick decant, or hours of air, they just started to open and catch fire. I can think of quite a few wines that stick out in this way, though it seems like a very unpredictable phenomenon. Also, what the heck is going on with wines th...
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@ DVOGLER…Apparently you didn't read what I said previously...@DEVOLGER Reply Jan 19.…"Yes, I do buy wines of the shelve of a few wine stores somewhat blindly. I’m a certified wine educator and competition wine judge. I sometimes have another person purchase wines for me and do blind tastings of certain varietals"I hope that answerers the majori...
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Here's the funny thing: For just a minute, Napa Ridge Cab was made from grapes from Napa Valley. So that added to the confusion. Franzia sometimes bought up labels that had some history or a reputation. (His company is called Bronco, because the Franzia name was bought by Coca Cola and sold to The Wine Group. So there's lots of history and ...
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Ok, new year and time for a new topic of discussion. Just yesterday I opened this Pinot Noir from California that initially sounded promising. First - it was given to Sandra as a retirement gift so it was free. Second - a Pinot Noir bottled in St. Helena CA, so it has to be decent, right? and Third - a nice looking label. Well, this 2014 Me...
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(Okay, it's like throwing the basketball off the backboard to pad your rebounding stats, Responding to my own post? Not really, just breaking it into more manageable pieces.)More on the cookbook:First, there are these recipes for stuff we are now more familiar with, but the ingredients weren't readily available. Check out "Risotto Italiene." ...
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I mentioned this a while ago, but didn't get around to the post. We stayed from September to end of December at a condominium in a complex built in the '70s. They've renovated and rebuilt since then (there were several major lawsuits for construction defects--built on fill!), but the architecture and the vibe is still very of that period. Our u...
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Reading Judt's "Postwar" right now and it makes me want to read a really good biography of Tito and a history of Yugoslavia. Macedonia is interesting because there's the Greek and the Yugoslav histories. Tito got in trouble with Stalin for wanting to expand into Greek Macedonia--among other things. I am friends with a Macedonian family whose l...
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Nicely done! BTW, Emark isn't the only one with a few wines on hand from TJ's. And, if they can sell wine in your state, there are a few that they will have that are available nationwide. Here's a few recommendations: That Vielle Ferme that OT recommended is available at Trader Joe's as Ferme Julien. Same wine. The rose and the Cotes du Rh...
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Red - one of the problems with recs for places like World Market and Total Wine is that you have to get the recommendations from someone in your area. The stores will have similar wines in most places, but there may be local differences, based on what's available from the local distributors. My suggestion is to look at Costco if there's one near...
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